Patanjali Yoga Sutra — अस्तेयप्रतिष्ठायां सर्वरत्नोपस्थानम् ॥2.37॥

Asteyapratiṣṭhāyāṃ sarvaratnopasthānam॥

Just by being resolutely committed to non-stealing, sādhakas get all kinds of priceless pearls.

It is said that bountiful riches chase only those who are least bothered about the wealth.

Cāndogya Upaniṣad warns:

स्तेनो हिरण्यस्य सुरां पिबंश्च गुरोस्तल्पमावसन्ब्रह्महा चैते पतन्ति चत्वारः पञ्चमश्चाचरंस्तैरिति॥5.10.9॥

steno hiraṇyasya surāṃ pibaśca gurostalpamāvasanbrahmahā caite patanti catvāraḥ Pañca maścācaraṃstairiti॥Cāndogya 5.10.9॥

One who steals gold, or drinks intoxicants, or goes to bed with Guru’s wife, or slays a Brāhmin — these four persons are destroyed forever. Also shattered is the fifth that has such a companionship.

cāṇakya was the minister of King candragupta Maurya. Though being the minister, cāṇakya had renounced all worldly pleasures and was leading a very simple ascetic life and was living in a hut in the outskirts of Magadha — the capital city of Magadha kingdom.

As it was a very severe winter that year, the king sent some woolen blankets to cāṇakya with an instruction to distribute to the poor. cāṇakya had plans to distribute them in the next morning. Some thieves saw this and planned to steal them that night. Thieves entered the hut of cāṇakya. To their surprise, they saw cāṇakya and his wife sleeping on a mat without a blanket on the body. When there was a heap of blankets in the hut, why at all cāṇakya should sleep on a mat in such a severe winter night? Instead of stealing, they woke him up and asked the reason. cāṇakya said in a candid voice, ‘Blankets are sent by the king with an instruction to be distributed to the poor. I have no right to use them. If I use them it amounts to stealing and it is Adharma. Added to this, I am an ascetic and I have renounced all luxuries and pleasures and I am happy with what I have’.

The burglars felt ashamed. ‘The very act of using the things of others is adhārmic, sinful. Whereas we are stealing others’ belongings every day and we must have amassed a lot of sin. It is time to change, let us lead untainted life like cāṇakya.’ If the opinions are tainted, the powers are defeated. That is the law of nature. They surrendered to cāṇakya and implored for clemency. That is the power of honesty. These great yogis had the power to change even hardcore burglars just by their way of life!! A piece of iron coming in contact with a magnet, becomes a magnet!